Lots of snow and a long ski season, uncrowded slopes with plenty of untouched snow, ski touring terrain for all levels, and more!
10 reasons to go on a ski holiday in Voss, Norway
Voss is the ski capital of western Norway. In Voss you will find two ski resorts, plenty of groomed cross-country tracks and an abundance of ski touring terrain for all abilities. This article provides 10 good reasons why you should visit the number one ski destination of western Norway.
1. Lots of snow and a long ski season.
Voss lies at the heart of the fjord nature in western Norway. During a normal winter, plenty of weather systems pass over this region. As a result, the snow grows deep, covering the mountains surrounding Voss under a thick, snowy blanket from late November until late May. During this six month long ski season, you will find plenty of skiing opportunities all around Voss. The ski resorts in Voss typically open the first weekend of December.
The mountains around Voss rises to 1300-1500 meters above sea level. In mid-winter, from January to March, you should expect good skiing conditions above 200-300 meters.
2. Uncrowded slopes and plenty of untouched snow.
The abundance of ski touring terrain around Voss means you are likely to get the first tracks in untouched snow – away from the crowds. The popularity of the northern ski destinations such as Lyngen, Lofoten or Romsdalen has drawn most of the attention away from Voss. As a result, you are currently unlikely to meet more than a handful of other people while ski touring – even on a weekend.
If you visit one of the ski resorts in Voss during mid-week, you will probably avoid lift queues alltogether. Except for a small crowd of local enthusiasts, the slopes and the off-piste terrain will feel spacious and peaceful. In fact, it is not unlikely to come across untouched snow while off-piste skiing, even a couple of days after the last dump of snow.
If you would like our best advice on where to go for the best skiing experience, please contact us. We are happy to help. Our tips are always free of charge.
3. Ski touring terrain suitable for all levels.
Voss is a bit of a hidden gem when it comes to ski touring. Looking up from the town centre, the mountains you see might seem a bit inaccessible and only moderately interesting from a ski touring point of view. Luckily, there’s more ski touring terrain to be found nearby. Much, much more.
Voss has large mountain areas all around, with a surprisingly complex topography of subsidiary valleys, mountain plateaus and ridges connecting rounded mountain tops. Exploring this topography, you will soon discover a wide range of interesting terrain types: forested hillsides, wide open flanks, long gullies and appealing ridgelines. All of it framed by the wild fjord landscape both to the north and to the south.
A network of small roads connects the smaller settlements around Voss, providing easy access to plenty of starting points for ski exploration. Wether you are about to try ski touring for the first time or you have years of touring experience, you will find plenty of routes to choose from around Voss. Drop us a line if you want a couple of suggestions or if you would like a guided ski tour to get you started.
Raundalsryggen is a Mecca for modern free riding. Check our aticle of freeriding in Raundalsryggen here.
4. Two of Norway’s best ski resorts.
Voss Resort lies right outside of Voss. This ski resort has a long history, so it’s safe to say that it holds a special place in the hearts of most local skiers. The new gondola carries you efficiently from the train station up to the lift area at 820 meters. This means you could be ready for skiing just a few minutes after stepping off the train. Voss Resort has a lot of magnificent off piste terrain, both above and below the tree line.
Myrkdalen Ski Resort is the youngest of the two ski resorts in Voss. This modern ski resort has efficient lifts, broad and well groomed slopes and is famous for its massive amounts of snow. Myrkdalen has splendid off piste-terrain, although most of it is above the tree line.
Getting to Myrkdalen requires a 30-minute bus ride on Myrkdalen’s free shuttle bus. It departs from Voss train station every morning and returns there after closing hours every day.
Both Voss Resort and Myrkdalen Ski Resort offer accommodation, ski rental, ski school and groomed cross country tracks. Insider tip: Visit either of these resorts during mid-week to avoid lift queues. Get the slopes to yourself and increase your chances of finding untouched snow off piste.
Some of the best off piste-skiing could be tricky to find. If you want to get the most out of your ski holiday, you might consider booking an off-piste guide.
5. Short and easy travel from Europe.
Voss is well connected. The railway line connecting Oslo and Bergen runs through Voss. There is also a local train service between Voss and Bergen. Departures are frequent and the travel time from Bergen to Voss is about 1 hour 15 minutes. The travel time by train between Oslo and Voss is around 5 hours 30 minutes.
The E16 main road from Bergen to Oslo runs through Voss. The 100 km drive from Bergen to Voss takes about 1 hour 30 minutes.
The closest airport to Voss is Bergen Airport Flesland (BGO). The airport has direct flights to several big European cities. A few sample flight times: London Gatwick (LGW) – Bergen: 1hr 55 mins. Amsterdam (AMS) – Bergen: 1hr 45 mins.
Getting from Bergen airport to the train station typically takes about 30 minutes, either by the light rail or by the airport shuttle bus. If you rent a car and drive straight to Voss, you should expect to spend 1 hour 40 minutes on the drive. For ski touring in Voss, you will be better off by renting a 4×4 with spike tires. Several of the best parkings can be challenging to reach, that is why we have a 7 seatter company car 4×4 with spike tires, so we can drive you to the best snow.
Planning your journey well, you could depart London or Amsterdam in the morning, and arrive in Voss 4-5 hours later. This means you could get a couple of hours of evening skiing on your travel day. We can organise airport transfers on demand.
6. Ski touring above Norway’s two longest fjords.
Voss lies at the heart of the fjords of western Norway. Both Hardangerfjorden to the south and Sognefjorden to the north offer ski touring opportunities with a magnificent fjord view. April and early May usually provide the most favourable weather and snow conditions for ski touring in the fjord nature. In our blog article, we present a few of our favourite trips for ski touring the fjords .
7. Safe ski touring away from avalanches.
Avalanches are one of the most important threats to skiers who want to enjoy untouched snow in the mountains. But avalanches only happen in avalanche terrain. In other words: steep terrain. When the avalanche forecast on varsom.no warns about unstable snow conditions, we’d better stay away from avalanche terrain to remain safe. Luckily, Voss has plenty of enjoyable ski touring routes that avoid avalanche terrain entirely. On the Varsom app (highly recommended) you can read the avalanche forecast and use the brilliant map tool to plan a safe trip. We are happy to suggest a couple of good options, should you need it.
A couple of years back we made a pdf guide featuring 4×3 safe ski tours around Voss. It’s in Norwegian, but it might still provide useful insights and tips for you. You need to register your email address in order to get the link for the free download. Feel free to unsubscribe from our mailinglist after having downloaded the pdf guide.
8. Ski and train: Low emission holiday.
The local train service passing through Voss continues up the lovely Raundalen valley towards Myrdal station. This scenic valley rises gradually eastwards for about 30 kilometres. A number of small, charming train stations dot the railway line, offering easy access to a wide variety of skier-friendly mountain terrain. Nowhere else will you find it easier to start your ski trip at one station and finish on the next. Feel free to contact us if you are interested in a couple of ski and train-suggestions.
The impressive Raundalen mountain ridge on the south side of the valley has some of the most challenging ski terrain in Voss. Perhaps a worthy target for the experienced skiers out there? Check freeride in Raundalsryggen
9. Plenty of rainy day-activities.
Voss is a ski destination that has a lot to offer even when the weather is bad (yes, it happens). Or perhaps you just need a day of rest between excursions. Here are a few options for you:
- Voss Vind: Indoor skydiving for everyone.
- Vossabadet. Pool, sauna, diving tower and water slide.
- Voss Bowling. Bowling, pool, darts and bistro. There is also a fun, indoor playground for kids.
- Voss Kulturhus. Holds the small, local movie theatre and a public library.
- How about a day trip to Bergen? The train will take you to Norway’s second largest city conveniently. Bergen has a rich cultural history, interesting architecture, museums and shopping.
10. Develop your skills with competent guides and ski instructors.
Would you like to learn more about staying safe in avalanche terrain or join us in the hunt for safe and fun skiing in untouched snow? Please have a look at our offer of avalanche courses on our website. Our Instructors are locals and are certified avalanche instructors. On top of that our manager Øystein is part of the regional avalanche forecasting for Voss.
For guided ski touring or off piste-skiing, you will find our offer here.
Perhaps you need help in planning your ski holiday in Voss? In our most recent blog article, we present you a practical guide on how to best plan your winter trip to Voss.
